Amai
by boiya
Summary: It all begun over 1000 years ago. A boy from a broken family and a girl that had nothing, but each other. Hao and Anna's past life together revealed! HaoXAnna Revised
1. Amai

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this. Warning that this fic is at times OOC and semi based off the manga though I've only read up to #17 and have been spoiled with everything else by the online Mankin community.

Chapter 1 – Amai

He stared down at the woman in his arms. Her blonde tendrils draped across the pillow and silently sat across his body. He couldn't help, but smile at the picture before him. She was beautiful, more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. In all the 1000 years that he has existed, he couldn't remember seeing anything more beautiful. Even the morning sun's rays were no match for the goddess that slept in his arms. His arms tightened a little bit more protectively around her. A soft murmur escaped her lips as he realized that his slight gesture had awakened her. He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Gomen. I didn't mean to wake you, amai."

She shifted in his arms and rolled over to wrap her arms sleepily around him.

"Go back to sleep, Hao."

He smiled even more at the mention of his name.

"Hai."

Yes, he thought. It was pure, sweet heaven that such a seductress existed behind the sternness of such an Itako known as Kyouyama Anna. Her body naturally reacted in a way that he had never thought possible. It was during that first night that he had really come to know just who Anna was, a temptress that hid her true self behind a mask that she had worn her entire life since the world had turned its back on her for just being herself, for being a Shaman.

Hao knew all too well how to relate to that and he had never felt drawn to another Shaman before until that moment. It had been the moment she had called his named. When his name had left her lips, the look in her eyes had consumed him with her powerful gaze and serious nature. It carried many hidden promises of what was to come and carried a hint of excitement that he had forgotten could exist in this world that lied buried there within her. He had lost himself the moment he had heard his name on her lips. Time and again he felt that thrill enter his body and he felt young again, young and in love. It was as if his past of 1000 years hadn't really existed, that the world had never turned its back on Asakura Hao and that he really was 15 years old again. But in his current body, he was 15 years old.

At moments like this, humans ceased to exist and it was only them. There was no one to interrupt their pleasure in each others company and they had explored every inch of one another. Hao had put his dream of the Shaman Kingdom off to the side for once to do something for himself, to do something selfish, but it was because he wanted her so much. Since the first time he had met her, with her radiating power and unwavering belief in Yoh. He felt as if she really was starting to understand not just the outside of him, but the inside of him as well.

She knew every inch of his body even the scars that continued to outline his body from the time that he had spent in Yomi's cave so that he could become an even more powerful Shaman. The scars continued to follow him throughout his reoccurring lives and were reborn onto him as birthmarks on his body. When she had questioned him about the marks, he had been unable to answer her because he believed that if he were to talk about the Asakura's, his former lands, his past, that it would drive her away.

It had been their deal since the beginning, on the very first night that she had stayed in his arms.

"Don't ever mention his name again." She had said in a cold, icy tone. He had nodded and agreed to her terms.

"We will never talk about Asakura Yoh again." He had told her and they found each other again soon after. It had been her exact words and he knew that his only answer would be to agree. For her, he had given up all association with his little brother. He had lost a part of himself in the deal in many ways than one. He had lost a part of himself, his other half, his little brother yet he had gained Yoh's former fiancée and learned what love was about.

Hao was familiar with love before. He had loved his companion, Matamune, very much, but at the best. Matamune had always been someone with him all the time that even when he would feel such an emotion as loneliness. The tabby cat had comforted him by merely sitting down on his lap so that he could run his hand across its back until they would both fall asleep. Hao had been content with that, more than content with his companion, his friend. He had even experienced the bitter taste of betrayal because of that love and the loss not just of a friend, but also of his own life.

Anna had already known the story about Matamune and Yoh. She knew the story because she had been there. She had come to train and live with the Asakura's when shortly after Matamune's spirit came to an end. She had become the reason why the nekomata had come to sacrifice its afterlife so that she could remain with Yoh. It had caused a new interest to arise in her. She wanted to know the story behind the cat's spirit for there was a story to be learnt.

She was to one day become a member of the Asakura's. She had done a lot of research and knew a lot about the Asakura that had created their line. The legend of the most powerful Shaman named Asakura Hao. They had all been taught to fear him, but she had never felt fear toward him. If anything she had felt pity for the man that the world had condemned merely for being a Shaman. She had felt the same when she had been abandoned by her family and it had only been when the Asakura's had taken her in that she had found a place for herself, but it hadn't lasted.

Yoh had ended their relationship. He had chosen to be with Lyserg since Tao Ren had dumped him earlier on to run off with Horohoro. Anna had known that it had been going on behind her back and when Yoh had finally told her about it. She hadn't been too shocked, but shocked nonetheless that Yoh had chosen to be with Lyserg of all people. She had felt that Lyserg was immature and useless to Yoh when it would come down to his Shaman Fights, but Yoh had refused to listen to her. For once, Yoh had stood his ground and ended the engagement. He had proven that he was serious by kicking her out of the house so that Lyserg could start moving in.

Anna had been furious over her former fiancée doing that to her, but she had accepted it and moved on. Yoh had been an idiot since the first moment she had seen him and she knew that he would never be able to improve on that trademark of his, but she couldn't hide the fact that she had loved him. It hadn't been the first time that she had been abandoned and she was more experienced than she had been before so she found it easy to move on. It was then that Asakura Hao had appeared before her. She had been hoping to forget about the love that she had lost only for another form of him to appear before her.

It took her time to find the right place, but she found a place suitable to continue on with her dream. She moved on to setup a new hot springs hotel that she planned to run when she sensed that someone was watching her. She paused and turned to look. On the top of a gate that surrounded the outside housing of the area, sat Hao and he was smiling at her.

"Hello Anna." He said as she merely stared back at him with her icy gaze. She wasn't in the mood to put up with him, not after what she had just gone through with Yoh. She didn't know how to respond as she continued to look at him. The mirrored image of Yoh that stood in front of her was almost too much and she just wanted to kick his ass to make herself feel better.

"What do you want?" Hao jumped down from off the gate.

"To talk." He slowly walked toward her and stopped a few feet away. "I've come to talk." He smiled and again she was reminded of that bastard Yoh. Her hand clenched into a fist.

"I don't want to talk." She declared firmly and turned to walk past him. Hao reached out and grabbed her hand.

"What are you.."

Hao pulled her into his arms and silenced her with his lips. He closed his eyes and bent his head down slightly to taste of the Itako that plagued his dreams. He wanted this and refused to let something as simple as a woman controls his emotions. Yet as his lips lingered over hers, she didn't pull away and he felt the stirrings within himself start to become alive. He used the situation to his advantage and deepened the kiss. His tongue darted in her mouth and she gasped only for his tongue to have access to her own. She tasted sweet. He could taste rising emotions inside of her as her hesitant responses cried out to him to make her, his own. There was a sudden sharp pain and he could taste his own blood as he released her from the kiss.

Anna pulled back from the kiss.

"Don't ever do that again!"

She had bitten his tongue. She turned to look away from him, but his heady gaze continued to linger on her.

"At least.." She seemed to hesitate as she looked at him again. His serious expression was centered on her. 'Why doesn't Yoh ever look at me like that?' She wondered and forced such thoughts out of him from her mind. "Not without my permission."

Hao's serious expression turned into a bright smile. She soon realized that she was really an idiot.


	2. Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this. Warning that this fic is somewhat OOC and semi based off the manga.

Chapter 2 – Dreams

Hao nudged Anna's sleeping form, gently shaking her shoulder. Her mind was adrift, as she slumbered. She really didn't want to wake up from this dream that she was having again. There was someone standing beside her with his dark hair and eyes. He was looking at her and though she didn't know who he was, for some reason she felt safe as if he were protecting her. His lips began to move and though she couldn't hear what he was saying. She somehow felt as if she understood and that no words were needed. He was someone important, someone special to her and for some reason. She could never forget him and yet for some reason. She heard someone saying something to her.

"Anna, time to wake up sweetie."

She rolled over slightly, flinging her arm through the air. Hao felt the back of her hand connect with the side of his face, pushing him over the side of the bed. He hit the floor with a thud and Anna quickly sat up.

"Hao!" She cried as her eyes widened in shock, completely waking her up from her sleep and dream as she realized what she had just done.

He quickly hopped off the ground, placing both hands, one on each side of his hips as he laughed it off.

"Are you alright?"

She scooted toward the edge of the bed, bracing one hand on the mattress as she touched the palm of her other hand against the cheek that she had hit, brushing her thumb lightly across the pink mark that was beginning to show. She had hit him pretty hard, her Itako's instincts kicking in to protect her. Her memory and betrayal by Yoh were still fresh in her mind, no matter how much she tried. She just couldn't forget and at times she found her nerves on edge with Hao on the receiving end.

Hao covered the hand on his cheek with his own and smiled sweetly at her. He was always doing that too; taking the blame for everything whenever she would do something. Anyone with two eyes could plainly see that she was at fault. He was doing it to make her feel better and she knew it, but let him get away with it because of what he had said to her. 'Kyouyama Anna. I love you.'

"I'm fine. Better me and not the food." She looked down at her lap to see the breakfast table that he had placed across her lap. If she had gotten anymore closer to the edge of the bed, the small table would have fell and Hao's homemade breakfast would have been lost. He was always doing stuff like this, taking care of her. Her heart was in a fragile state and he was taking the utter most care in everything that he did for her.

The king size European bed that filled the room had been a gift from him to her. He wanted to show his love for her in every way possible and when it came to buying her gifts. He didn't hold himself back.

Not only did it turn out that she had gotten a great deal on the hot springs hotel due to him without her knowing about it, but he made her dream of being the owner of a hot springs come true. He had paid off the remaining amount that she had owed on the hot springs at a discount. Since the moment she set foot in the building, he didn't allow her do any work though she would never have argued over being made to do work around the hotel. They spent most of their time in the bedroom. Today was different though. It was the day that he was supposed to take her to someplace that he wanted to show her. It was yet another day that they were going to spend together.

Anna watched the buildings pass by as she continued to look out the window; her hand was entwined in his. His eyes were on her, but she was aware of the outside world that was flashing by her. She had known that something was up when Hao hadn't used Spirit of Fire to take them to their destination. Usually he would use his spirit and she had become accustomed to being around the genie though at times even she wondered about the power Hao wielded. He rarely displayed it around her anymore as if he were trying to forget the fact that he was a shaman.

It was often surprising to her, the way Hao acted in her presence. He wasn't like what she had first thought him to be. He had a more serious side to him and was in many ways like Yoh. That is what scared her the most; not only did he look like her former fiancée, but that in some ways he acted like Yoh. There would be tender, concerned looks that he would send her way and she would look away, not able to gaze into the dark eyes that so resembled Yoh's. It was the look that Yoh used to give her when he once cared for her, but Yoh's eyes had grown hard, determined, set on chasing his current passions. She wondered why she hadn't tried to just have sex with Yoh because there had been several times that the two had laid side by side on their own futons, attempting to sleep. She had wanted to touch him, to feel him, but had been afraid. Mainly of her own emotions and what would happen if she were to give into that unknown side of her.

At times she wanted to blame herself for it all, for Yoh leaving her, but when she looked at Hao. She realized that she was relieved that their engagement had come to an end because would she have been this happy with Yoh like she was happy being with Hao. There had been moments when she felt like this when she was Yoh. He would smile at her, reassuring her constantly that everything would be okay and yet he left her in the end.

Hao never tried to feed her such false hopes. There were moments when she found him watching her, but there was sadness in his eyes that when she'd ask if he was all right. The sadness would fade away to be replaced by an innocent and sweet smile for her. He'd assure her that nothing was wrong, but she knew at those moments. He was finding himself lost in the past, haunted by old memories that he couldn't seem to forget. Not even when he was with her, but when she'd talk to him. It'd call him out of his daydream and back into the present. She was glad for it because in a matter of weeks. She had become accustomed to a gentler side of Hao that she had never known existed.

There were indeed many similar things about the twins, things that she noticed instantly. But there was a big difference between the ways that the two of them treated her.

Yoh had always treated her as if she would always be there, as if he knew that she would always stay by his side and believe in him no matter what. Because of her, he had grown into the powerful Shaman that he was to this day, a Shaman that had the power and the will to become Shaman King. She had really begun to believe in him and rely on him. That is where she had gone wrong she reminded herself yet again.

Putting so much faith into one person had caused her to do something that she had never done in her whole life. She had come to care for someone. Yoh had moved her heart, awakened her compassion and her faith into believing in him and his dream. To become Shaman King had become not just his dream, but her own. She had wanted to remain beside him no matter what. He would draw strength from her and she would draw strength off from him. In the end it hadn't worked out like that. Reality had turned out more bitter than she had first imagined. She often found herself questioning many things. Had it all been worth it? Getting engaged to Yoh and falling in love with him? Yet losing him to someone else in the end?

There had been times that she wondered if one day Yoh would end up falling in love with someone else when the two of them had been engaged, but she had always believed that he would come to care for her as she had for him. There had been many times when Yoh had showed interest in her and many times when he showed how fearful he was of her, but there had been those moments between the two of them that she believed that he loved her. At least, she had felt loved and the feeling was something still new to her.

Hao treated her differently. He treated her as if knew tomorrow would never come. As if the sun would never shine upon them and that everything would come to an end at any moment. It was almost as if he worshipped her at times, but she knew that no man would ever stoop to that level for a woman, let alone her. Yet Hao would gaze into her eyes at those moments. She felt as if she were no longer herself, that she had completely become someone else. It was as if Hao knew just how fragile she was and that he wanted to protect her so that she would never shatter into a million pieces the way she had when Yoh had ended their engagement. Though she had never shared her feelings at that time with anyone or displayed how she truly felt. Hao was able to plainly see through her and how she had dealt with saying goodbye to Yoh.

He never talked of future things or of his own dream of creating the Shaman Kingdom. She had always thought that he would bring it up one day so that he could continue on with his plans for restoring the Earth to its former beauty. Yet not once had he ever mentioned anything of dreams to her or of chasing them, he in no way mentioned that she would even have a part in his future or not, if he would even stay with her always. She left the words unsaid and accepted things for what they were.

He had said he loved her and she accepted the words for what they were, words. She didn't need to hear it from him to know the way that he felt. He showed his feelings for her in every thoughtful thing that he did for her. It touched her still that he would share those words for her, but she refused to allow herself to ever be hurt again. She knew that she loved Hao, but it was only to a certain extent for her heart remained guarded. She would never allow herself to be hurt ever again or at least that is what she constantly was telling herself. The truth of the matter was she wondered if it was already too late for that.

She didn't need to glance to out of the corner of her eye to see that he was still looking at her. She could feel his eyes on her. It was moments like this when his eyes were focused on her that she felt as if she were protectively wrapped in his warm embrace yet there was no physical contact between the two of them, at least not at the moment.

She finally turned to look at him and he smiled his idiotic smile. Her heart melted as she knew that it was indeed already too late. If this was a dream, she didn't want to ever wake up from it.


	3. Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this. I've also begun to the use the idea with the permission of T.One to write things similar to the HaoXAnna fics that T.One has written. I've altered the story a bit to follow along the lines of the manga.

Chapter 3 – Memories

It was taking them long enough to get there. Anna didn't know where they were going still though she knew that Hao knew their destination. Her eyes seemed to stare out the window and though she could see the shops as they continued to pass them by. She was more intent on watching the image of him that reflected in the window. She knew that he was watching her.

His eyes refused to leave her. It was almost as if he were reliving the past and could somehow make up for the moments he had been unable to just hold onto her for a little bit longer.

It was a sad past that the two of them shared and though she couldn't remember it. She continued to relive it through her dreams though she hadn't mentioned anything about the dreams to him yet. He could clearly remember that day that happened so long ago, the memories of what had happened that day that he didn't want to remember. He pushed the recollections into the back of his mind so that he was able to smile for her because if he remembered the past, the events that lead to their demise. He'd grow angry again and want revenge, but for the moment. He just wanted to be with her like they had been before.

They had lived in a portion of the Asakura residence after getting married. That day had been not too long after Matamune's death and rebirth in his spiritual body with the help of Hao. He couldn't leave his precious friend behind, the only friend that he really seemed to have ever had besides the one he had married, Anna. His love for her was different than the love that he bared for the tabby cat and he wasn't even going to allow death to separate them all. He had other plans.

Hao had spent a lot of time with the nekomata in training him to become accustomed to his new spiritual form and his after life as an Oni slayer. Matamune had never liked Onis while he had been alive so it was only expected that he would become a slayer with his newfound powers that he had received from his master and friend, Hao. Matamune had always wanted to become stronger after losing his seven siblings to the epidemic disease that was going around at the time. It was only natural for that disease to eventually take his life too, but Hao had been unable to give up. Though he had been unable to save his friend and cure the cat of the disease. He did something that he was able to do, give Matamune power. It was only natural that the two understood one another and their need for power to protect the things that they cherished.

Hao trained the nekomata with the help of the Chou Senji Ryakketsu. It was the book of techniques that he had put all of his experiences into while he was mastering the five elements. It was so that one day he would be able to build an army of powerful Shamans that would help to save the crumbling Earth that he wished to preserve so that he could live his life peacefully with his wife. He dedicated his whole life into becoming stronger so that he could protect the world from its own inhabitants that refused to learn, against the humans that never seemed to understand. It was such a long time ago and yet he continued to fight for his dream to even to this day. He was reminded again of that day that seemed like today, that bitter day that everything had happened all at once.

flashback

It had been a trap, a long played out plot to destroy him in every way possible. Not just in his first life, but in every life after. There were rumors after all that Asakura Hao had the power to reincarnate himself, that he was the devil. Yet people would smile at him, cheerfully asking him for his help though they would talk about him behind closed doors, of how they should kill him before he kills them. Hao knew what they were doing, but he had Anna to worry about. He wasn't about to let her be dragged into it all even though she was also a Shaman, but it was one of the reasons why the two of them got along so well together. They understood one another, as Shamans, and as man and woman.

They had spent their youth growing up together. She had been engaged to him because her power would be an advantage to the Asakura family and their future plans, but Hao at the moment when he had first set eyes on her at the age of five. She had been a complete stranger that seemed to stare at him with different eyes. He always had the eyes of someone upon him since he was an Asakura, a Shaman destined to rise above the rest. It had been his parents' goal that he would gain power, wealth and status for their family. They had high expectations for the boy that showed so much potential of becoming a powerful Shaman at such a young age.

Hao had different plans because the moment he met her. His world changed. The girl with the calm, cool, steady eyes became his everything. Not only had she become his friend, mainly using him as a lackey to get whatever she wanted. He was like a stepping-stone to her whenever she didn't want to get her feet or hands dirty. From being around such a brilliant, intelligent mind, he learned many things. And when puberty hit, their relationship seemed to become something else completely. It was all right they believed since they were going to marry one day so why wait.

She had given him so many things in his life that he never knew how to repay her. He often felt that he was being selfish whenever he was by her side. It was common though for her to use him a lot, both when they were younger and even when they were older. One of the greatest gifts he ever received from her was a brown tabby kitten with black stripes on its back that they named Matamune, but the kitten had seemed half dead. He had been an early gift that he received from her several long years before they finally had gotten married.

Matamune had always shared a strong interest in his master and the mistress that had saved him, though the kitten had been unable to speak at the time. Anna had seemed to have read his mind and saved him before the epidemic disease could fully take his life as it had done his siblings. Through proper taking care of the kitten by the two of them, Matamune fully recovered or so they had thought. Even after death, the tabby cat remained by their side to protect his family.

Anna was one of the true pleasures in Hao's life that he enjoyed being by her side with Matamune. They were a family. He wasn't about to give that up for anything and he didn't allow anyone to use his wife as a weakness to him. She was his strength, the truth about his power, and his secret that he had never writer down in the Chou Senji Ryakketsu because he wasn't about to share her with anyone else. Though somehow, he missed something that day and it caused him to lose everything.

The people came to Hao's front door informing him about some Onis were running wild and destroying a village. It was his job to protect the people that fell into the jurisdiction of the royal court since his family was serving them. Matamune being the pure hearted cat that he was, wasn't about to let this injustice be done to the innocent villagers. He was quite familiar with the area since had had often visited many places with Hao when he had been alive, just the two of them. It had been the moments that Hao would have to handle business that the royal court would call for him to act. Though he had been unable to take Anna along, the court had allowed him to take Matamune. The cat had been his escape from the heated hate that he saw in the eyes of the people. Hao had no other choice than to let the nekomata go and handle it or he would have to have gone himself. He had a bad feeling about it all, but allowed Matamune to go. The deceased tabby cat was fully trained for combat and there was nothing that the Onis could do to harm him. He was more worried about Anna.

end of flashback

She finally turned around to look at him in the car.

"Are we there yet?"

Her eyes were cold, but the tone of her voice wasn't in the least bit harsh. It was merely a question as to how much longer they had to go. He smiled for her, the sweet smile that he reserved for only her.

"We still have a ways to go before we reach there. I don't think we'll arrive till sundown."

"But it's so early Hao. How can it take so long to get there if we're going by taxi?"

His smile took on a sinister look though he bore her no malice since he had been hiding something from her. He wanted it to be a surprise, but saw that there was no other way to do this than to tell her the truth.

"We're not going to get there by taxi." Her brow rose as she looked at him as if he were an idiot. They were riding in a taxi after all.

"Then how are we going to get there?"

"By horseback." Silence fell throughout the inside of the taxi.

"You're crazy. I don't know how to ride a horse."

"But I do."

A/N: I originally just wrote this fic for it to be a lovey, dovey type of moments for Hao and Anna just showing how compatible this pairing is, but I guess I ended up making it into a complex story with a past of mixed lives that seemed to intertwine in past and in present. Thanks much to TO.ne for giving me this awesome idea to use to bring out this fic in a much deeper meaning. XD Ya'll have to check out TO.ne's fics too especially HaoXAnna fans.


	4. Path

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 4 – Path

Anna stared at the horse that Hao was holding by the reigns.

"It's easy. Just get on it like I just showed you how to."

She stared at him as if he had just grown demonic wings on his back and was fixing to take flight devouring her in his path. Her only thought was that he was crazy.

"I'm not getting on that thing."

"Anna, please. It's just for a few hours, stop being such a pest."

"Pest! Who are you calling a pest, you insect!"

She swatted again at the buzzing insects that swarmed around her and included a quick swat in his direction. The outdoors always had things like this happening. She turned to storm off when he released his hold on the reigns and reached out to wrap his hand around her arm.

"Let me go Hao."

Her voice was almost deadly and he waved away the stable hands that had come to take the horse. His grip on her arm was strong, but not enough to cause any harm toward her. He moved closer, releasing his hold on her arm and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry."

He breathed into her hair as he drew her near to him. He hadn't come out here to fight with her, arguing was the last thing that he had on his mind. Getting her alone was his top priority, but just spending time with her was all that he asked for. His recent memories were continuing to plague him as he tried to keep his cheerful mood.

He was with her again after all, but the old memories were returning to confuse him. His need for her and his need for revenge was consuming him. He wanted to just get away for a while with her and let things return to as it had been. He knew there was no way to go back in time so he thought about the present. He was able to be with her again though she didn't remember. He was hoping to bring back those memories. He wanted to let her know the truth, the truth about them.

"You can ride with me then. Is that okay?" It took her a moment to decide, but with his hands wrapped tightly, protectively around her body. She felt herself give in as she sighed.

"Fine. I'll ride with you." She felt the tightening of his jaw as his cheek shifted against her head. He was smiling.

"I knew there was a reason why I loved you so much." She roughly pushed against him causing him to take a step back, but he regained his composure before he fell over.

"If that horse plays any tricks on me. You're the one that is going to have to answer to me."

He raised both of his hands in defeat, but caught onto her hidden meaning. She was smiling smugly at him. He knew that she had other things on her mind that involved punishing him. He motioned for the stable hands to bring the horse and he mounted. He reined the horse next to her side and stuck out a hand. As she started to reach out, her mind flashed as she suddenly recalled someone, a dark figure, a man atop a horse, reaching his hand out to her. The man's body was bigger, older than the boy that currently sat in the saddle. The look in his eyes was dark as if she knew him.

Hao's hand closed around her out stretched hand and he pulled her onto his lap. She was drawn back into the present as she shifted both on his lap and in the saddle until she had a leg on each side while seated in front of him.

"Don't move around so much." He whispered in her ear and she grinned seductively at him.

"If you weren't so aroused already, I'd be able to find a better seating in this saddle."

"Hmph." Was his only reply as he kicked the sides of the horse and they began their journey. He had wanted to leave early so that they would make it on time, but with their little quarrel. They had lost a few precious moments and he wondered if they would make it there in time before nightfall. Though he had said the trip would take a few hours, he had been lying, it'd take several hours. Tied behind him was a small pack of supplies to last a couple of days and a few blankets. They had awhile to go before he would be able to show her.

flashback

It was a spot that only the two of them had known about or at least the two of them had often ran off together to seek their own sanctuary in each others company. Even as children when the adults would scold the two for some mischievous behavior. They were in their early teens, acting up and getting in trouble as teens should and would run away to laugh about it, not having a care in the world. During those times she had been more cheerful, more innocent, but then her parents were killed in front of her and she had lost the ability to speak.

Doctors from far and wide had come to see if they could do anything for the girl who had lost her voice. There seemed to be no hope and Hao could only watch her from a distance. He was not allowed to approach her since she was still suffering from the loss of her parents. Then came the discussion among the elders, if she was suitable anymore to marry into the Asakura family. Her family was now dead and held no social status. She was nothing more than an orphan now.

Hao's eyes widened as the adults continued to talk about what to do with Anna. Some wanted to abandon her into an orphanage, others wanted her to stay with the Asakura family as a servant and the rest wanted to cast her out into the streets because a mute girl was of no use to them. Not one of them mentioned that she should stay and marry Hao as had been originally planned.

Hao clenched his hands into fists as he hid behind the thin walls and overheard everything. Tears filled his dark eyes as he began to grow angry. 'What hell did they know?' He thought. She was his friend, his fiancée, and his love. Couldn't they understand that? She belonged to him and he never wanted to give her up to anyone. He slid open the door and barged into the room.

"Grandfather! Please let Anna marry me!" He had to try to convince them that she belonged with him and not anywhere else. She was meant to be by his side always. She had always been by his side. Why would it change even now? All eyes fell onto the boy that had entered without permission. Slowly, Hao's grandfather rose and walked over to him. "Grandfather please.." Hao didn't get a chance to finish as he felt the backhand of his grandfather's hand hitting him hard across the face.

"Insolent boy! You know nothing of our current situation!" Hao rubbed the side of his face and looked at his grandfather. He had never known him to lay a hand on him before, but the pain in his cheek was increasing each second. The slap had been real. He narrowed his eyes. Anna was at stake and nothing, not even a slap would stop him from fighting for her.

"Anna is my fiancée. I will not allow you to cast her out."

"Get out!" He could see the furious expression on his grandfather's face. He had never talked back to him before, but there had never been a moment till now for the two to dispute over something. She was more family to him than any blood related relative. Hao suddenly realized that as he looked at the others that had gathered. They were all members of the Asakura family, the elders. He didn't wait another minute and took off, running out of the room.

'Damn them all!' He thought. He ran as fast his legs would take him. He wanted to be with her, no matter what, if the Asakura's accepted him or disowned him. He wasn't going to give her up for anything. She was his. He ran to the door of her room and opened it. Inside she was laid out on her futon, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't move from her position even after he opened the door and walked into the room.

"Anna.." She continued to lie there, not even blinking. He ran over to her side and fell onto his knees beside her. They had done this to her, not allowed him to come and see her. She was becoming distant to the world around her. He tried again. "Anna."

She didn't know who he was anymore. The world around her, she was lost to. Tears streamed down his face, there was no need for him to hide his feelings, at least not to her. Above anyone else, she understood him the most.

"Come on." He lifted her limp body onto his back and held on tightly to her body as he ran out the door. He made his way out of the house and through the front gates, hoping that no one had seen them leaving. His tears didn't stop as he continued to run. She wasn't responding. Her eyes were open, but it was if she were dead. Dead to him and the thought scared him causing a twisted pain in his stomach. It felt like someone had buried a knife deep in his side, but he refused to allow the pain to overtake him. He quickened his step and ran as fast as his legs would take him, faster than he had ever run before. He wanted to save her. His lungs ached, but his heart hurt more than that pain that plagued his body.

"Anna." He whispered out loud without realizing it. He had to save her, there had to be something that he could do. Very few things had ever scared him. He had always forced himself to act strong for her, to look out and protect her from anything. He planned to continue to do that until the very end. He was going to take her to their spot.

Minutes passed by and his pace seemed to slow down, sweat was dripping from his brow and it was getting hotter. His foot connected with something on the ground and he felt himself falling forward. There was no way to recover, no way to stop his self from falling so he did the next best thing. He twisted his body around and wrapped himself protectively around her body as he hit the ground, shielding her from the fall with his own body.

"Anna!" He cried out as he hit the ground and skidded along. He had been running pretty fast. He slowly sat up, wincing, looking over her body to see if she was all right. Still, there was no reaction from her. He stood back up and placed her back onto his back. He noticed the blood then. It was his own blood running down the side of his leg. He ignored it as he looked down the path ahead of him. He had to get there for her, before it was too late and took off at a run again. His thoughts centered on her and he didn't feel the pain in his leg as the blood continued to flow freely from his wound.

end of flashback

"Hao?" It was her voice. He hadn't remembered hearing her talk at that moment. "Hao." She was talking to him in the present.

"Yes?" He looked down at her. She was seated in the saddle, straddled in front of him as the horse trotted along the path. He had been remembering this path, this very same path that he had gone on so long ago. He closed his eyes remembering all too well that damned past of his, of theirs.

"How much longer before we can take a break?"

"Soon." He opened his eyes and smiled sadly at her. "We'll take a break real soon." He kissed the top of her head as she leaned back against his chest.

"It better be sooner than that." She murmured as he chuckled, the rumbling of his chest shaking her a bit.

"Anything for you, amai." Though he was laughing, his eyes were sad and though she couldn't see it. He held back the tears that threatened to fall from remembering this path and the many things that had happened along it. It was their path, the path that leads them to many things, but most importantly it always led them to each other. Even now it was returning them to the past, a past that haunted him and her though she didn't know it yet.


	5. Great Spirit, thank you

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 5 – Great Spirit, thank you

Awhile back she had fallen asleep against his chest as he slowed the horse down so that its steps wouldn't disturb her. They had been in the saddle for a few hours already. It was past the time that he had said that they would take a break, but he had expected it to be like this. She wasn't that experienced in the saddle as he was, but even he hadn't sat in a saddle for a while. His numb bottom reminded him of the old days, his past lives, countless hours that he would spend in the saddle until he had become accustomed to sitting atop a horse all day long. It was part of his training after all; it was expected from an Asakura to show off that they knew everything, that there was nothing that an Asakura couldn't do.

He sighed and she shifted in the saddle. She would have fallen if his arms weren't on each side of her, keeping her from falling off the top of the horse. His arms once again tightened protectively around her though he continued to hold onto the reins with his hands. He leaned his head forward and rested his chin against the top of her head. She continued to remain sound asleep, riding in the saddle for a couple of hours must have really worn her out he thought. He was going to pull over so that they could stretch their legs, but he was going to let her sleep for a little bit longer.

A smile played across his lips at the thought of taking a break; most likely something else would happen if they were to stop. Seeing her naked body sprawled out across the grassy scenery around him was most appealing to him, but he still wanted to let her rest if not just for a few more moments. His mind returning once again to the path ahead of him, it was long and old. It seemed to run on endlessly just as he remembered it though the boundaries of the path seemed to have widened over the years. He could remember the path being a bit smaller, but that is to be expected when 1000 years has passed since he last set foot upon the path.

He felt it suddenly; an old pain and scar that remained even to this day. It was from the wound that he had received from the fall after he had shielded her with his own body. Many scars seemed to remain no matter what body he was in, he had lost count of the various scars that decorated his body or even when he had received them. He couldn't remember sometimes, but other things always remained fresh on his mind, events that constantly played tricks on his mind and above all, his heart. He would always remember the events that played throughout that day to make things unfold and crumble in around him.

flashback

They had finally reached it, their spot. Hao lowered her gently from off his back and onto the grassy ground. Her eyes were closed now and her breathing shallow. 'Is she going to die?' His mind raced as he inspected each tiny part of her. 'No, there was nothing wrong with her physically.' It was something inside of her; something was trying to take her away.

'No!' His mind shouted and various incantations ran through his mind. He had studied the books. He knew the spells, there had to be a way to save her. 'Use magic.' He heard himself silently saying. It was one thing that he was supposed to be strongest at. Hadn't the Asakura's dedicated their whole time into carefully training him and what they were unable to teach him, he was able to learn on his own . But nothing had prepared him for this moment. No one had ever trained him on how to deal with the life of another human being; no one had ever shown him how to save a life, only how to destroy one.

"Anna." He was saying her name again without realizing it. His eyes strayed over to the water, the cold icy water that came off from the mountain. Maybe it would revive her, but they hadn't properly trained in its cold depths yet.

The two had trained under the freezing water that came from other waterfalls, but for some reason. The water that came here seemed to be even colder. The two of them had swam in the water a couple of times, almost drowning each time in an attempt to strengthen their bodies. It was their way of training when the adults weren't looking yet they were just enjoying themselves, playing around yet allowing their bodies to become accustomed to the artic water that flowed steadily into the area. She had always appeared stronger in the water. It hadn't been till much later that he had realized that it was a mental battle that one goes through when in the icy depths.

He had almost really drowned once and she had saved him pulling his heavier body onto the shore. It was his turn to save her now. He scooped up her tiny body into his arms realizing once again how petit she really was. Even now, she seemed lighter than when he had last carried her in his arms, but she wasn't protesting this time. She had beat against his chest, yelling for him to put her down or she'd kick his ass and he wasn't laughing now like he had been when she had told him that.

Hao stepped into the water, needles began to stab him in his feet, but somehow he pushed such feelings aside. His mind was focused on her and the pain in his leg numbed from the cool water, leaving him feeling nothing. Nothing, but her. He didn't want to go very far from the shore because the small pond had a drop off. It seemed shallow at first glance, but if you were to go out too far. You'd realize that it actually became quite deep.

He sat down in the shallow end, the water rising to his shoulders. He winced as the icy needles continued to bury their way into his body, but he held onto her as he seated her body into the water next to him. It was cold; it was dangerous, but for Asakura Hao, nothing mattered more than the one in his arms. 'Let my life end.' He thought. 'Just don't let hers end before mine.'

"Please Anna." He couldn't control it anymore, the shudders. They started in his body and began to tremble throughout. He couldn't feel his hands anymore. He wasn't sure if he was holding onto her anymore and he just wanted to close his eyes. He was tired from running the entire way; from the loss of blood and the thought of losing her must have taken years off his life. He just wanted it all to end, but he didn't want her to end.

She had always be a vibrant girl, cheerful in her own way, pushy in all other ways, bossing him around as if she owned the place already. They hadn't been married yet, but she still carried the air around her as if were born an Asakura. That is why the adults accepted her; it's why the people respected her. It was the reason why he loved her.

She was different. She didn't look at him expecting anything in return. Well, maybe besides having him for all life as her personal servant, but it was something that he was all too willing to do. Somehow, somewhere along the way, the idea had become appealing to him. Even fun at times because in his own way, he was able to use her also, what the elders didn't teach him. He learned through her.

He felt her suddenly, cuddling up against him. Their lives seemed to flash before his eyes and he just wanted to hold onto her more, but he was so damned cold. He was dreaming he told himself, of a time when he had been able to just hold onto her. His hands and arms refused to work anymore. 'Have I let her go?' He wondered and willed his body to not let go.

"Anna." He whispered again not even able to hear the tiny word that left his lips and than he faintly felt something stir beside him. Or was it on top of him.

He slowly opened his eyes, realizing that he had closed them. Her face was just right above his and she was leaning on top of him.

"Hao, it's cold." She leaned her head back down onto his chest and curled up against him, trying to gather as much body heat as she could from him.

'Anna..' He thought, the word playing over and over in his mind. He wanted to smile, but it was too painful, his body still refusing to listen. He couldn't feel his body anymore, but she was all right and that was all that mattered. 'Great Spirit… thank you…' It was his last thought as he felt himself leaving this world.

end of flashback

A/N: evil laughter ensues throughout the background Wow! I'm making more HaoXAnna fans. Yay!!! Actually I'm a AnnaXYoh fan above anything else, but HaoXAnna ties second with my ideals of YohXHao. XD


	6. Death

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 6 – Death

"Hao."

He felt someone gently shaking him. His eyes were wide open, but his gaze lost in the distance. The shaking continued, but he didn't want to wake up from it, the dream. "Hao!" The gentle became violent and his arm was twisting. It was going to be ripped off! He suddenly snapped back to reality as his face grimaced in pain and she released the hold she had on his arm. "I figured that would wake you up baka."

He rubbed his shoulder, trying to work out the pain that she had just been inflected on him. At times like this she was a bit too harsh toward him, but he forgave her because after all. Hadn't she saved his life yet again at that time? It was suppose to be him that was saving her life yet in the end. She had saved his.

flashback

Anna felt herself stirring and the weight of something holding onto her. No one had touched her even after the onis had killed her parents, murdered by demons. Her family was now dead and nothing remained, nothing really mattered anymore. She just wanted to join her parents and let her pointless life come to an end.

"Anna." The word was more than enough to make her want to open her eyes because he was calling her.

She had forgotten about something for a moment, about that idiot Hao. He was always so lost without her. She was surprised that he was able to do the many things that he was able to and even more surprised that he even listened to a single thing she said. He always seemed to listen to her, smiling as if he didn't have a care in the world, as if life were that easy. He was such an idiot at times with his naive ways, but it was not too long ago that he had acted not so childlike.

It had been their first real kiss and the memory of it filled her body with warmth. It was his warmth that she was feeling as she shifted in the water. She opened her eyes and saw him, his pale face. Hao wasn't a pale guy, his skin was a golden tan that she had seen many times, but for some reason it was different this time. Then she realized it, the freezing water around them and just where they were at.

"Hao!" She cried out as her body seemed to take on a will of its own, the adrenalin pulsing through her veins as the sudden energy that she needed came from her small, weak, already fragile body.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, refusing to let go as she dragged his heavy body out of the water. 'Baka!' She silently screamed, as he weighed a ton. 'Don't ever cook for him again..' She told herself. 'Or he'll just grow heavier.' She collapsed onto his chest, half lying on top of him and half on the ground, panting, trying to breathe through her own already frozen lungs. The energy that had been there for a moment seemed to disappear and she felt the cool air around her creeping in. She couldn't remember when it had been so cold before or when she had last been this close to him.

His pulse was dropping, his heartbeat becoming slower and dwindling. It wasn't a good sign. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there and since he was there with her, she assumed that he must have taken her there. She didn't know what he had been thinking or why he had done it.

Things seemed different as she leaned close to him. There just had to be something else that she could do, some way to bring life back into his diminishing body. He was getting colder by the second. Then it hit her. She had overhead foreigners talking about bringing dead people back to life by using their mouth. She had overhead the conversation and watched from around a corner as the foreigner had demonstrated on various people. It looked like a kiss! But the foreigner had gone on to explain that you are breathing air into the person's mouth and that is what brings them back to life.

Her face reddened as she remembered what had happened last time that the two of them had been so close together. He had kissed her and she didn't bother to reply with a slap. Instead she had punched him right in the eye, giving him a shiner that lasted for a few weeks. When everyone asked what had happened to him, he claimed to have fallen and hurt himself. If he had told the truth, she would have been punished for hitting him. He was an Asakura, a great Shaman after all and she a Kyouyama, a lowly common Shaman though she had been trained as an Itako. Her powers were not that strong at the time, but she still held much potential. They did not know that later on down the road in her other life to come that she would become an even more powerful Itako.

She swallowed hard and inched her face closer to his. She could feel his breath against her face as she moved even closer. Her eyes moved to his lips, they were blue now. 'Damn you, Asakura Hao. Damn you!' Her mind kept repeating as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his. This wasn't what the foreigner had been talking about, it wasn't even close and what happened next surprised even her.

Hao felt something burn deep inside of him. Yes, he remembered this feeling from before. It was when he had kissed her. At the time, she had claimed that she hadn't kissed him, but he knew better. He knew that she had kissed him back. This feeling was the same. The feeling melted away his worries and doubts. He just wanted to hold onto her and hope that this time he wouldn't get a black eye for it. His arms wouldn't listen though and he had to use every last bit of energy to open his eyes. He wanted to see her so he slowly willed his eyes to obey and they complied.

There she was, her eyes closed with her lips on his. 'Tennyo.' He thought. 'The Great Spirit has sent me a heavenly maiden for my own. I'll never let her go, never.' His arm reached out somehow and wrapped around her tiny waist. Her eyes widened, but she didn't push or try to get away from him. Instead she seemed to melt into the kiss more, becoming accustomed to the feel as one of his arms wrapped around her. The kiss came to an end as quickly as it begun and his hand fell back down to the ground as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Hao!" But there was no helping it. He had returned to being unconscious, but his heartbeat seemed to return to normal. She rested for a moment on top of him to keep them both warm and then dragged him until he was up against a tree. She dug through the roots of the tree and found the little hidden compartment that they had put there. Blankets lay inside the little cubby hole. She took them out and wrapped them around him. For another moment she sat down beside him, pushing a few strands of long dark bangs off out of his face, letting her fingers linger over the strands a little longer than someone usually would. She took an extra blanket and wrapped it around herself. She leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his lips.

"Don't die on me or I'll have to find someone else to marry." She didn't mean it as a threat since it was the only other option that she had left. If she didn't marry him, she would have no other place to go to than to find another husband, but who was more suitable to her than him. Maybe somehow it was her way of letting him know that she didn't want to marry anyone else so he just had to live. If not for anything else, than to just live for her.

She returned to the Asakura household and kneeled at the front gates, begging until they let her in. She calmly explained to them what had happened. A group of men were dispatched to fetch Hao's body. Doctors had arrived and waited on the house grounds as Hao was brought back. He was still alive.

Anna was thrown into her room and the door was locked behind her. She waited patiently for someone to come and tell her how Hao was doing. No one ever came.

Hao was taken to his room. His bed had been prepared for him. He continued to lay unconscious as the doctors arrived to check out his current condition. He had lost a lot of blood from the wound on his leg and if he hadn't gotten into the water causing the flow of blood to lessen. He would have bleed to death in due time. A sharp branch had punctured into the side of his thigh when he had fallen and the wound was going to leave a scar. He was developing a fever. The doctors worked hurriedly to try to break the fever before it would break him.

Day turned into night and night into day. Hao's fever continued to plague him and he remained asleep. The doctors contemplated the reason why his fever was not going down. They used many methods that were known to man. The fever should have broken by now. Hao would have normally regained consciousness. Instead he became delusional and writhed in bed as if lost in some nightmare. He didn't respond to the doctors or the servants that filled his room. The doctors sent for his grandfather and left the room.

The old man entered the room to see that his grandson was asleep on the bed. He walked over and stood beside the boy that lay before him. Hao's winced as if in pain. He placed his hand against Hao's forehead as if the gesture would brush away the pain.

"Don't worry, Hao. You are fine now."

"Anna.." The word came out ragged from Hao's dry mouth. His grandfather's eyes narrowed at the boy.

"That bitch will pay." His grandfather growled as he turned to leave the room.

"Anna!" Hao cried out again as doctors reentered the room. They tried their best to hold him down as he thrashed about as if lost in some dream, some feverish dream where he was fighting to save her life. His grandfather slipped from the room and went to Anna's room. He unlocked the door and opened it. Anna knelt a few feet away, clenching a set of beads in her hands and was chanting something, perhaps a prayer to the Great Spirit. A dagger landed on the ground beside her. She looked up from her chanting, startled. 'Was Hao dead?', she thought.

"You have until morning to take your own life or we shall take it for you. It is your fault that this has happened to Hao."

"W-what has happened to Hao?" Her voice barely was able to come out anymore. She was tired from the whole ordeal already and still weak from all the mental anguish that she was experiencing. Hao's grandfather could clearly see the concern on her distraught face.

'Yes.' He thought. 'I can use this against her.' He pointed an accusing finger at her and raised his voice.

"It's your fault that Hao has been taken from us!"

Her eyes widened and all color drained from her already pale face. His grandfather turned and stomped out of the room, shutting the door behind him and locking it. By morning he was sure that she would take her own life because now she believed that Asakura Hao was dead because of her.

end of flashback

Anna blinked and slowly opened her eyes.

"Ah, good morning." Hao was sitting down next to her and they were leaning up against a tree. She glanced around, not realizing where she was. "We're taking a break." He nodded to the scenery around them, but she was still lost in the dream. What had happened, she wondered as she touched a hand to her throat. She had been dreaming again, but this time of a dagger that laid by her side, a dagger that she wanted to use on herself.

"Hao?" She looked at him as he glanced back at her.

"What?" There were tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong?" He placed a hand around her shoulder as he drew her near to him.

"I was dreaming that you were hurt because of me." He knew instantly what she was talking about. It was the past. She had been dreaming of her past life again.

"It's alright." He pulled her in between his legs and held her against him, holding on tightly as he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure of which event that she was talking about because they had been through many hard times together, but in the end they had been able to endure it until their deaths. "Don't think about it anymore." He whispered in her ear before planting a kiss on her ear lobe and beginning to nibble around the top. "Just think about the present.." He ran his tongue across her ear and trailed kisses down her jaw. "About us right now." He placed a kiss against her neck. "You'll never be able to hurt me again." He vowed and before she could question what he meant. He rested his hand against her cheek, turning her head so that he could capture her lips with his own, silencing her.

There were no words that needed to be said anymore as the two gave into their passion for one another. There were many things that he still wanted to tell her, but all in due time because everything at one time would be too much for her. He knew how delicate her mind could be. She had a fragile side to her that not everyone had seen, but he had seen it on many occasions. There were moments that she would show her strength, but she also had her weaknesses.

It brought to mind an incident that had happened during her current life when she had created onis with her mind. What he didn't know is what had caused it. He wasn't around to observe the events that followed, but his minions reported to him what had happened. Had it been the past trying to catch up with her at that time? Was it the thought of remembering that onis had slaughtered her birth parents? Or was she frightened more that she had learned that it had been the same onis that she had created with her mind had been the same ones that had killed her parents. The truth was a dangerous thing so he had to thread lightly or completely loss her. He held onto her tightly again.

"Hao, I can't breathe." She murmured against him since her lips were lingering against his skin.

"Sorry." He loosened his hold on her ever so slightly. He didn't want to let her go. He was afraid, the old feeling returning again. He was going to lose her again and he knew it, but it was a fate that he refused to accept no matter how many times it happened. He wanted her to realize her past so that nothing would be able to tear the two of them apart ever again.

She continued to place tiny kisses against his skin, loving the taste, the feel of him. He was always holding on so tightly to her that it scared her at times though she didn't voice her thoughts with him. She didn't want to upset him with her own doubts. She too felt afraid because she knew that when he held her like that. It gave her a bad feeling that something was going to happen. She didn't know what to expect. Her dreams were getting worse and the vague feeling remained with her, a feeling of separation, of being torn apart. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

Lately, she found herself thinking about the past, her past with her former fiancée, Yoh. She never could find the words to voice what she was feeling to Hao. She didn't want her old feelings to interfere with what she currently had, but she couldn't help it. She wondered how Yoh was doing. It was her decision that she would no longer talk to him. She didn't want anything to do with someone that had abandoned her. She no longer knew how he was doing.

She wanted to believe that she had moved on from Yoh. She was with Hao now. At times she wanted to ask him if he would go with her to see Yoh, but she would remember the promise that she had made with Hao. It had been her decision. She was the one who had told him that they would never speak of Yoh again. There were small things in the back of her mind that were beginning to bother her and she wanted to talk to someone about it. She wanted to share these thoughts with Hao, but he was being too protective of her.

She had the feeling that something was going to happen and she had no one, not even Yoh around to talk to about it with. The twins were the only ones that she had ever really shared a part of herself with and though she was trying to forget the other. She was beginning to remember what it was like to be with Yoh and how easy it was to talk to him. With Hao it wasn't the same, sure the two of them had talked countless times. Her telling him many private things and him telling her things that no one person would know about him, but there still remained a mystery between the two of them. Something unknown and she wasn't sure what it was.

Words weren't always needed to be exchanged between the two of them. Sometimes all it took was a glance or a gesture and it was if the two of them could read each other without saying a word. It proved to show how deep the bond was between the two of them and the silence was something that she appreciated. She not someone of a lot of words and the fact that the two of them fit so well together was proof enough that they were meant to be. That was all proof that she needed to be by his side and yet there was a nagging feeling that it was much more than that.

A/N: Ah, thank you everyone for reviewing and I'm glad that people are enjoying this fic. Yay!! More HaoXAnna fans! My work has been done here, hehehe. Don't think of Yoh that badly cause he has his reasons after all, they will be explained more toward the end of this fic when Yoh makes more of an appearance. I mean how can our beloved, innocent, sweet, kindhearted Yoh be that bad of a guy, right? Feel free to leave feedback either positive or negative, yell at me if ya want. If anyone has any ideas, you can always mention them to me. Mainly if you come up with something else TO.ne. I kinda have plenty of ideas for this fic cause the roller coaster just won't end here for Hao, Anna and Matamune. I have some good ideas in store for this fic so please do continue to read.


	7. Birthmarks or scars

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 7 – Birthmarks or scars

The two of them continued on their journey along the old, beaten path. Hao and Anna were in the saddle again, but this time he was seated in the front with her behind him. She had her hands wrapped around his waist and she was quietly resting her cheek against his back. He was trying to sit up more straight in the saddle since they were around the same height and for her to be able to rest her head comfortably against his back. He had to make himself seem taller in the saddle.

The horse was slowly walking along the path. It would be soon that they would reach the spot so Hao thought that it'd be fine to let the horse slow its pace to rest itself for a bit. They had wasted plenty of time though they wouldn't arrive on time as he had originally planned. Anna still wasn't saying a word, but he could sense her thoughts. She was thinking about the dream that she had earlier and he leaned forward slightly, sighing. She lifted her head off his back to look at the back of his head.

"Is something wrong?" He suddenly straightened his back up realizing that she had noticed. He quickly looked over his shoulder at her and smiled reassuringly.

"It's nothing, just the sun starting to get to me." He turned his head to look forward again as they continued. "We'll be there soon." She nodded and rested her head back down onto his back.

"I know." She murmured against his back, confusing him a bit.

"Huh?" Her words had thrown him off guard for a moment.

"I don't know." She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them. "But I have this feeling that we'll be there soon." His eyes drifted shut again. She was slowly starting to remember. Once they reached there, there would be no turning back. The things that he was going to show her were either going to make her stronger with the truth or it is going to completely destroy her. He wrapped the reigns around the saddle horn and placed both of his hands over hers. He was a master horseman and used his legs to control the horse easily. He didn't let the fact that his body was that of a 15 year old boys stop him from showing off his horseman skills.

The past was a terrible thing and if he could, he would like to protect her from it. He didn't really want her to remember and yet he wanted her to remember. She had gone through a lot in her lives, but he understood all too well that living was never easy especially for them. There was a slight clenching feeling in his chest as he held in the gasp that he refused to let out. He didn't want to frighten her with his own damned emotions. Such human feelings as love were at times worth the same as fool's gold or at least that is what the Asakura family had always told him as a child.

He closed his eyes and his hands tightened around hers. He didn't want to remember. Everything was his fault that damned man's fault. His grandfather, the head of the Asakura household at the time. He had played with Anna's feelings, making her believe that he had died because of her. His hands continued to tighten around hers as he fought the fever that had almost taken his life.

flashback

Hao was thrashing around in the bed and finally relaxed. He felt them stop touching him and he was relieved. He hated it when people touched him without his permission. They had no right to do that to him. He was an Asakura and what was his was no one else's. He wanted them to die for trespassing and touching what belonged to him.

"Anna." He couldn't see her anywhere, but he realized that his eyes weren't open so of course he wouldn't be able to see her, but when he willed them to open. They refused to open and he gritted his teeth together, not wanting to give into the tiredness that was sweeping through his body.

The servants left the room after Hao had finally settled down and the doctors went again to try to get some rest. If his fever didn't break soon, they would know the outcome of what was going to happen to the future master of the Asakura household. They left him to rest and checked on him occasionally, but only fate knew what was in store.

They couldn't help, but wonder what happened to the girl that had originally been the fiancée of Hao. They had tried to visit the girl to check on her health, but Hao's grandfather had turned them away. The household was very familiar with the blonde haired girl that had come to live amongst them. They felt bad that they were unable to do anything for her. They left quietly, returning to their rooms and waited for news of what was going to happen next.

Hao just wanted to fall asleep, to just go to bed and forget about it all, but one thing remained on his mind, Anna. He was tired and his body refused to listen. He could feel it, the fire burning inside of him. It was spreading and getting hotter by the minute, consuming him. He wanted to shout out in pain and yet somehow his lips refused to move. His throat felt dry.

He wanted to cry out for her, call out for Anna so that he could hold onto her hand. He wanted her to be there with him because it was consuming him. He wanted to feel her cool skin against his own. He wanted to try to kiss her again though she had been the one to kiss him that time. He wanted to know desperately if it was real or that he had just imagined it. Somewhere in the far reaches of his mind, that she had really kissed him. The feel of her was always cool yet humanly warm, womanly warm, her moods having always been cold toward everyone. He suddenly wanted to go swimming with her in the cool water at their spot. Their spot, they had just been there. He could faintly remember it or was it the pain that was coursing throughout his body. He could only feel the heat.

'I want to be with her.' He heard himself saying. An image appeared before him and faded away into the storm. It was as if it was becoming a tornado, sweeping up everything in its path and it was heading toward him. He didn't want to lose. He needed to get back to her. 'I want to be with her.' He heard himself speaking into the wind. It was as if the gale heard his voice as it continued to spiral toward him, but it did not sweep him up in its path. It seemed to react to his words as a whirling gust of wind blew against his already hot skin. It seemed to cool his burning flesh. 'Thank you, Great Spirit.' He said as his eyes finally opened.

No one was in the room and he tried to stand, but he wasn't even able to sit up in the bed. Instead he rolled out of the bed, but when he tried to stand, moving away from the edge of the bed. His legs gave out from under him and he hit the floor, but he used his arms to brace his head before it hit the ground. He hoped that he wasn't making too much noise as his breathing began to quicken as he tired to stand once again.

He grabbed a hold of the small table off to the side and pulled himself to his feet. Sweat was slowly dripping off from his brow, it was still hot, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He wanted to see her and he wasn't going to let his own body stop him. He wanted to know that she was all right, that she had really woken up, that she had finally come back to him. His tennyo, he remembered. He tried to smile, but found it even more tiring to do so. He braced himself against everything along the way, stopping to take breaks and sit on the floor as he waited for his body to listen. Then he'd continue on his way toward her room. He knew that it was where she was; he could feel it even through all the heat that was running through him.

Anna's vision was hazy as her hand rested on the dagger that lied next to her. She hadn't picked it up, but her hand was lying on top of the handle. Hao was dead and it was all her fault. She could hear the voices crying in her head to just grab a hold of the dagger and bury it in her heart before the pain could reach it. She was in shock and the news was still settling in her mind. It hadn't found its way to her heart yet because if it would have. She would still be crying now. She didn't even know if she had any more tears left to shed. He was dead because of her. Nothing remained anymore, the voices returning again. They were telling her to just end it all. Her parents were already dead and now he was too.

She didn't know the truth about anything. She had blacked out at that time after creating a demon from her mind. It was that same demon that had gone and killed her parents without her knowing it. She had never been able to control the thoughts that ran through her head at times, the voices that seemed to occupy her mind. It was only when she was with Hao did it seemed that the voices didn't exist. They never came when she was with him. It was as if the voices were afraid of him and that Hao was protecting her from them, but he was no longer there to protect her from the voices. There was no longer a reason for her to live.

Her eyes unclouded and her hand tightened around the handle. She didn't want to live anymore. It wouldn't matter if she were to kill herself or not. She knew the Asakura family would take her life and that it was better to take her own life. It was the only way to restore what little honor that remained in her family's name. They weren't of great birth like the Asakura's, but she refused to be the one to tarnish her family's name. Death seemed to be the only way out; it was the last and final answer to everything.

She looked from the dagger in her hand to her other arm and brought the blade against her skin, not quite piercing the pale skin. She could see her rugged reflection in the blade; it was an image that she would never forget. It was a crazy madwoman staring back at her. Hao would have never approved of the girl in the blade, but he was no longer here to try and tell her what to do. She would be joining him soon and that was all that mattered. She brought the blade down, slicing into her smooth skin. Appearances can be deceiving because though her skin might appear delicate, it really wasn't. She had the body of a trained Itako even if she was still in training, a body that wielded a Shaman's capabilities. She knew that it wouldn't be enough to end her life.

She could feel it, the pain in her arm, her nerves feeling the sharp piece of metal that was penetrating its core. She wanted to end it soon. She didn't want to feel anything, not the pain of losing her parents, not the pain of losing Hao, not even the pain of her own death. It was only the tip of the blade that entered her skin. The blood was slowly starting to trickle down her arm and onto her leg. She took a moment to ready herself. Her grip tight around the handle, her mind set on ending it all. There was no one to stop her, not even Hao.

She knew that he would have been the only one that would have tried to stop her. He was the only one that had ever truly cared about her for being herself even if she was bossy most of the time, but as often as she bossed people around. He would tell her that it made her interesting and though she didn't understand it at first. She later realized what he meant. She was different, not like the typical girl that trained at the Asakura household and that is why he liked her so much. She had a head of her own on her shoulders and an attitude to match his.

Though she had laughed and smiled with him many times. She knew that she would never be able to see his stupid smile again. Without realizing it, she felt her eyes begin to mist over, but she didn't want to cry anymore. She just wanted to end it all. With these thoughts in mind, it gave her the courage for what she was about to do. She was going to end it all. Her grip remained tight around the handle as she steadied the blade and she readied herself as she was going to thrust the blade deeper across her arm in one fluid motion. She only hoped that she wouldn't feel anything as she bleed to death, as her soul would leave her body. She only hoped that Hao would be there waiting for her, only to take her into his embrace like he so rarely did and this time. She wouldn't slap or hit him for it. Instead she would return his embrace and be thankful that he had really waited for her.

Hao sat on the ground a few feet away from Anna's door. There was a bar on her door. He could see it from where he sat though his gaze was not steady. He hadn't remembered there being such a contraption on her door before. He didn't know why anyone would have put one on her door. He didn't see the purpose of it as he leaned heavily against the wall and continued toward her door. It was an old Japanese traditional house and the doors were mostly made out of thin paper. He wasn't about ready to let that stop him. He was the future master of the Asakura household and he knew then and there. She was worth more to him than it all. He meant to take a running leap through the door, but somehow it ended up that his legs still weren't working right. So instead he fell in through the door and landed on top of the tattered door.

Anna was sitting there ready to plow the dagger deeper into her arm when a sudden crash at the door drew her attention. She quickly looked up and over at the door. Lying on top of the door was Hao. She couldn't believe it. Was she already dead, she wondered. Had Hao finally come back to her, but as she looked down at her already bleeding arm. She knew that she wasn't dead. She wasn't an idiot after all. She knew what had happened. Hao's grandfather had played her for a fool. She dropped the dagger and ran over to him.

Hao was trying to sit up. He couldn't see Anna though he knew that he had come into her room.

Small hands wrapped around his arms and helped him to sit up. He was fixing to push whoever it was away when he smelt a familiar scent, a womanly scent. It was Anna.

"Hao." His name came trembling out from her mouth confirming to him that he had been right. He reached out and had to feel his way around her so that he was able to pull her close to him. It was then that he caught the scent of blood.

"Anna, are you bleeding?" She quickly pulled her arm away and tried to hide it. His vision cleared for a second and he noticed the cut on her arm. "What happened?" His eyes continued to dart around the room. He couldn't quite see her, his vision continuing to blur one minute and become clear the next. He caught images of the dagger lying on the floor not too far from where they sat.

He suddenly realized what she had been doing, that she had been trying to kill herself. His powers were kicking in again without him really even trying. He could easily read her mind and what had happened. It was his grandfather, he had provoked her to kill herself or he would kill her.

"I'll never allow it."

"What?" She didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Anna, take me to the doctors so that we can get you fixed up."

"But you're the one that isn't well, Hao. You shouldn't be up." He noticed that she was beginning to act more like her old self, the bossy side kicking back in. She was really just looking out for him. She helped him to his room and summoned the doctors again. She sat by his bedside as the doctors checked up on him after checking out and bandaging Anna up first at the insistence of Hao. His grandfather never returned to his room to see him after the doctors had gone to report about Hao's current state that he would be okay though he still had a fever.

Anna stayed by his side for the next two weeks. While Hao slept, she was able to bath silently from a basin nearby. Hao had instructed her not to leave his side no matter what until he had fully recovered. She ended up being the one to help bath Hao from a basin and when they finally brought in a tub for him. The water reached past his hips and he wore a towel so that she wouldn't be afraid to wash him. He enjoyed every minute of it and she knew that he liked it. It was a duty that she would eventually have to perform, but for two 14 year olds to be doing that. It wouldn't have been accepted until they had been married.

If given those events hadn't turned out as they were. Hao and Anna would have been married at 16 according to the Asakura's tradition. 14 was an acceptable age to get married for them, but the Asakura's usually married at 16. Hao completely recovered with Anna by his side, but both of them retained scars from their experience. The events that had transpired were rarely mentioned again as they were able to continue on their lives. It was almost as if none it had happened, but Hao knew better to leave Anna around with his grandfather. He couldn't trust the Asakura's and he made it his duty to always watch out for her, he didn't want to lose her.

end of flashback

Hao's grip on her hands loosened and he slowly began to run his thumbs across her hands. He slowly ran his hands up and down her arms, moving a little lower and lower until he came to it. The faint discoloration of the skin that lined across her wrist, it was a scar. If he had asked her about it, she would have said that it was a birthmark. He wanted to talk to her about it, but he knew that she wouldn't know anything about it. At least she would soon remember it. He wrapped his hands again tightly around hers and closed his eyes, once again feeling the dreaded feeling of being ripped away from her.


	8. Searching for something

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 8 – Searching for something

Anna pulled one of her hands out from Hao's tight hold and placed it onto his thigh. It was more than enough to draw him out of his own thoughts. His grip lessened and he opened his eyes, he noticed the tiny nail marks that he had dug into her hands.

"Sorry!" He cried grabbing a hold of the reigns and pulling the horse to a sudden stop. He turned in the saddle to look back at her. "Was I hurting you?" His brow was arched, tiny crinkles running across his forehead. If it had been any other moment, she would have laughed at the worried expression that he had on his face, but there was a hidden sadness in his eyes. Something had been bothering him and since he hadn't brought it up, she didn't want to bring it up. Things always seemed painful for him when he talked about things with her. She wanted their trip together to be on the bright side though she knew she wasn't a vivid person. He was the more cheerful one and she the stray cat that he had picked up off the street one day.

"Let's just continue." She reached around him and took the reigns, placing them back into his hand. He continued to sadly look at her and finally nodded as he nudged the horse forward again. It didn't even take ten minutes to reach their final destination.

The area was almost a clearing that was surrounded by trees and a river with the base of a mountain touching the water's edge. A waterfall ran off from one side of a mountain and into the water that seemed to run downstream. The area was pretty secluded and all too familiar to him. He could remember it all so clearly, very few things had changed. He turned to look at her to see if she was experience the same feeling that he was, but the expression on her face showed that this was all new to her. She didn't remember.

He helped to lower her down to the ground before he dismounted the horse and tied it off to a tree nearby. He walked over to the small river. Its size was no longer what it once was. The raging waters that he once knew were no more. He squatted down and dipped a hand into the water. It was no longer freezing cold as it had been before, the sun's rays cooling the water as it now a certain warm feel to it making it useless for training anymore. He sighed as the feeling returned.

This was the exact reason why he wanted to become Shaman King. The world around them was being destroyed, crumbling in around him. Humans were taking their toll on the Earth and letting it fall apart throughout the years because of human's constant abuse and negligent care as to what was happening to the world around them. It was things like this that bothered Hao the most. It was places like this that were being destroyed constantly everyday. Spots like this one that held so much meaning to them that was being destroyed.

Anna walked around and stretched, trying to get all of the kinks out of her body from being in the saddle so long. He noticed that she rubbed her bottom a few times when she thought that he wasn't looking. He wanted to comment on it to her. Mainly to tease her, but ended up not saying it as he glanced around at the trees and noticed that the area had changed more than when he had first looked upon the spot. Where trees had been before, other trees had replaced them and as his eyes fell onto a large tree that seated itself not too far from where he sat, off to the side.

He knew it instantly. It was the tree that they had often sat under together, the same tree that held the hidden compartment that the two of them had put things into it in hopes that one day they would be able to return and claim the items. That day had never come until now.

He slowly stood up and dusted himself off as he walked over to the tree. He lowered himself to the ground at the base of the tree and begun to look around at the roots. He couldn't exactly remember where the compartment was. Anna peered over at him.

"Hao, what are you doing?" He continued to look around and feel around the roots.

"Looking for something." She walked over to his side and looked at what he was looking at.

"There's nothing here. It's a tree Hao. That's its roots." He paused and pushed himself up onto an elbow as he looked up at her. He squint his eyes and stuck out his tongue at her.

"I already found the tree. It's something else that I was looking for." She hunched down beside him.

"What could there possibly be around a tree besides grass, dirt, twigs and roots all over the place." She wasn't asking. She was telling him. He shrugged as he fully lowered himself back onto the ground and partially crawled along the ground, his hair cascading down on each side of his face and being dragged through the dirt. It didn't seem to bother him as he continued to search for whatever it was that he was looking for.

She leaned back until her bottom landed on the ground and planted her feet onto the ground with her knees bent. She looked around at the area. She had seen this before she silently told herself yet she knew that she had never been there before till now. It was just her imagination she told herself; by looking at the scenery she could tell that it could have that kind of affect on a person. She glanced over to Hao as he continued to practically roll around on the ground. She didn't understand what he really was looking for, but this place was having some kind of weird effect on him too. He suddenly sat up.

"Found it!" He lifted a small bundle out of no where and held it triumphantly out to her. She eyed it with its old worn cloth that was wrapped so protectively around the bundle of whatever it was. The cloth appeared to be really old and had mostly decayed over the years. She had no idea what it could possibly be as it was layered with ancient dirt that had packed its around so tightly around the bundle, but she wasn't about to touch the dirty old thing. Her eyes fell on him instead. There were pieces of grass still in his hair and dirt smudged on his cheek. How it had gotten there, she hadn't noticed how close he had been when he was crawling on the ground. A grin was slapped on his face as he begun to fiddle around with the small bundle.

Her breath caught as she stared in wonder at him. It was a side of him that she had never seen before. Yes, there had been countless times that she saw that stupid Asakura grin, but when had things turned out like this she wondered. When had the smallest things that involved him begun to amuse her so much no matter what she found him doing. She was always entertained by his actions. Every moment that she spent beside Hao, she felt like it was something new and yet she could feel that she somehow knew that moment. That somewhere else, someplace else she had stood beside Hao before. That she had meet and embraced that moment before, but she faintly shook her head to clear it of such thoughts.

She remembered awhile back the dream that she had of Hao from somewhere else, but she had pushed such thoughts and memories away. She was not an interrupter of dreams and she had yet to meet a shaman that could explain to her what the dreams meant. She had her own ideas, but that is all that they were. Ideas and she would not act on them until she were to find out the truth for herself. For now she just wanted to be with him in the present and that was all that mattered. There was no longer a place for her beside Yoh, but she had in the aftermath found her place beside Hao. Her eyes continued to graze over him.

There were moments of playfulness between them, but they also had their serious moments with each other. She had never made him crawl on the ground or dig around the bottom base of a tree. It was no surprise that they had often found themselves rolling around in the grass with one another before. Nothing had clung to his dark tresses at those times, but the sight before her was highly amusing her. A smile played at her lips.

"You're such an idiot." A totally perplexed look washed over him as he stared at her.

"Huh?" He didn't know what she was talking about. What had he done wrong now?

"Nothing." She sighed and snatched the bundle away from him. She turned her back to him and walked over to a grassy area. She sat down and eyed the small package. Dirt was crumbling off from around the bundle and beginning to form a mess on her dress. She glared over at him.

A/N: I went and reread the story that I've done so far. Sorry I haven't updated in like 2 years almost.. hehe, but I couldn't seem to get in the right frame of mind to start working on fics again. I tried working on it and even now I'm trying my best to continue. It's crazy too cuz after rereading it all. My own story brought tears to my eyes… haha But I'm currently still stuck in South Korea. I'll continue to try to finish for everyone that has been waiting this long. Gomen nasai!!!! ;D Please feel free to review too. It's what keeps me writing. Arigatou!!!


	9. Treasure

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this.

Chapter 9 – Treasure

A huge sweatdrop hung from Hao's brow as her stern gaze pierced through him. He didn't want her mood to turn foul after they had finally made their way back. He knew that it was a fact that they could never go back in time, but he knew that at least he could try to bring some of that past into the present. He wanted her to know this place. Either it be from her own memories of the things that had happened there in the past or the new memories that the two of them will share in this moment.

This was a special occasion for the two of them and he hoped that perhaps a part of her would remember this important place. Many things had happened there. No matter how many lifetimes or years had passed. Hao knew this place. It was a part of him, as it was also a part of her.

"A-ah, sorry!" He laughed lightly and lifted the bundle from her lap. He brushed the dirt off of her skirts and attempted to clean off the remaining dirt off from the bundle. Dirt remained on the old rags as he begun to unwrap it. He laid the old, worn cloth down beside her and slowly ran a hand across the top of the rectangular box as if there was some dirt on top of it, but the cloth had taken most of the damage from the earth.

"There." He held it out to her. He grinned with excitement as his eyes danced with pleasure that he had found it, a treasure that he had never forgotten about. It had remained untouched, buried and under the earth's care. He had been right to entrust this task to mother earth.

He had spent so many days by her side that he could never forget the past that they shared. Every moment that he spent with her was a real treasure to him, every memory he locked away inside of himself for safe keeping. No matter how many times that he was to be reborn into the world again. He would never forget. She was his treasure and he was happy to have her in his life again.

She didn't miss the look in his eyes, the mixed sensations that raged within his eyes. She could read him so easily. Reading other people's minds had become an everyday occurrence for her. It had once been a power that she had been unable to control, but in time she had learned to suppress the urge to read other's minds.

It didn't matter that she could read people's mind. She knew that if she had been born without the capability to read others mind's. She could read people with her keen eyes, her stern gaze that followed everything and missed nothing. She could see through people and Hao was not an exception.

She didn't know how to interrupt the excitement that she saw there. Hidden within his eyes, there was a look of anticipation. It was a normal feeling that any young boy would have toward his favorite toy. This was different, she could tell. His eyes shone like a fools yet it was like he was hungry for something that she didn't know, but with his eyes lingering over the box. She knew that it had to do with something that was contained in this small box. It was almost as if this box held something very important to him within its tiny contours.

She slowly took the box from his hands and set it down on her lap. It wasn't badly beat up and looked as if it had been kept in good condition. The lid easily lifted and she gazed at what was inside.

Anna's heart raced. She could clearly hear the sound of her own heart beating throughout her ears. A rolled up piece of parchment lied inside with a silver band wrapped around it. She knew what it was without removing the contents. The ring was wrapped tightly around the letter. It was very faint, but it was there in her mind. She didn't know what it was and yet she knew what it was. It was a letter. The contents unknown to her, but the ring she knew all too well. She couldn't control it as the tears slowly begun to stain her cheeks. She didn't know why, but it was something very important to her.

"H-How..." She turned to look at Hao and her words faded away. He was smiling at her with his mischievous grin, but his eyes hid nothing. There was a distant look in his eyes as if she was slowly losing him. To what, she didn't know, but his dream like state was getting worse and worse. The moments seemed as if he was there with her, but she knew that he was far away. Far, far away and she was running out of ideas on how to bring him back.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Anna, I have something to show you." Hao raised his hand into the air and snapped his fingers. Small bursts of flames seemed to emit from his fingertips and begun to dance around in the air.

"What is it?" Her eyes narrowed as she watched the flames dance before her. It was something that she had never seen before. Yet she knew that there was only one possible answer. It wasn't supposed to be possible, at least not for a boy of his age. There were stories of others that had been able to call them forth, but it had taken many Shaman's their whole lifetimes to get to that point. The point that Hao had just reached.

"Fire Spirits." She watched the flames circle again and vanish.

"Hao..." She turned to look at him and noticed the sweat that was steadily falling from his brow. "Are you alright?" A faint hint of worry in her voice or perhaps he was imagining things he wondered.

"I'm fine." He seemed to pause to take a deeper breathe. "I only recently was able to call them forward." He smiled at the fact that he was able to do that much. He had been able to call the Fire Spirits at will and it was due to the fact that he had wanted to show them to her. He had proved himself to be capable of surpassing what he had learned from his family and he was proud of himself. He refused to show this new power to his family. He wanted her to be the one to see it, his power. He had finally surpassed them, the Asakura family. He had overcome the power that their family wielded and gained something new that only he could do. He would not share this new information with them. He would only share this new found knowledge with her and only she would know just how truly powerful he was.

Hao rolled up the piece of parchment and hid it within another scroll. He carefully placed it with the scrolls that sat upon a table in his room. They were a collection of scrolls that he normally studied and had learned more about the world of Shamans. One could say that it was a library of scrolls that filled his room and that no one would be able to find it hidden there. He believed that no one would dare to touch the things in his room. He thought everything out very carefully before taking action. He took his time in cutting and trimming the scroll so that he could place it within another scroll. There lied the reply letter that Anna had written him.

It had taken him over a month to come up with the courage to actually write a letter to her and it took almost another month for him to compose the contents of the letter itself. He had spent countless nights rewriting the letter as his hand slipped and the ink smeared across the scroll. It just wasn't working too well for him to the point that he had almost given up all hope on writing the letter.

He didn't know what to say one moment and the next he knew what he wanted to say, but he had already begun to write something else. There was no end to it. He had rewritten the letter several times as he found the right words that he wanted to say to her. There was much that he wanted to tell her, to talk to her about, but he knew that he wasn't able to say it to her yet so he thought that a letter would be the next best way to do it. To tell her how he felt about her.

He wanted there to be more between them. She knew his secret, the power that he possessed, but little did she know that it was only a fraction of the power that was yet to come.

~~~End of Flashback~~~

"Hao?" Someone was calling his name. Hao blinked and his vision cleared. It was Anna. She touched his shoulder. "Are you okay, Hao?" He quickly nodded and grinned.

"I'm fine." He brushed the dirt off from his pants. She didn't miss that he was trying to use his actions to cover up the fact that he had zoned out again.


	10. Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King so please don't sue me. I will not be responsible for any sudden bursts of tears that this fic may cause or the up and down feelings that you may experience from reading this. If you need any kind of medical assistance, please visit Dr. Faust. ^^ Thank you.

Chapter 10 – Emotions

"What am I going to do with you?" The sound of her voice echoed in his head.

"Huh?" Question marks appeared all around Hao's head as he took a quick look around him to realize where he was at. It was present day and he was with Anna. The box resting on her lap with the lid open to reveal the contents that laid inside.

Anna took a deep breath and steadied her emotions. Her tears dried up, a serious and stern expression on her face once again as she reached into the box and took out what was inside it.

She slowly pulled the piece of parchment out of a small ring. She could tell that it was old, but the paper did not crumble at her touch. It had been preserved well. One hand wrapped around the ring. She didn't want to lose it without first finding out what exactly it was. Her attention focused on the rolled up piece of paper. She was hoping that it would explain or at least give her some kind of hint. She used her fingers to unroll the letter. Her eyes skimmed over the contents.

Hao stood up and watched her. His heart was beating fast as he saw her eyes trace over the letter. Was she going to remember or not? He didn't know the answer. All he could do was wait for her reaction. He wanted to know.

A blush suddenly appeared on Anna's cheeks. Her gaze shifted to look at him and then she quickly looked away.

His heart skipped a beat. She had read it. He continued to hold himself in check as he waited.

She set the box on the ground. Her gaze still turned away from him as she stood up. Her reaction remained calm and cool as she brushed the dirt off from her.

Her grip around the ring tightened and she turned to look at him. Her eyes shone with a cold, glazed over look in them. She was pissed!

"What the hell is this Hao?!" She held the open letter to him.

Hao swallowed a gulp at her piercing gaze. He was almost afraid that the icicles reflected in her eyes would shoot into his body any second now. What had he done wrong? He didn't understand. Why was she so pissed?

He took the letter from her and read it. The contents of the letter had not changed. The ink was visible. It was the same as he had written it. All the words were readable. There could be no misunderstanding, but there was some kind of misunderstanding to cause her to be upset.

He kept his head turned down as if he was continuing to read the letter. He needed to stall because he didn't understand. He had to think. Something had upset her. It couldn't be the letter because there was nothing written in the letter that could have offended her. She had even blushed after reading it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that she was still staring him down with an icy gaze. He almost winced, but pushed it aside. It wasn't the time for his usual jokes. He needed to be serious. This was important. He couldn't let her see him do something like that. Not at this moment. It would only upset her more.

This wasn't what he had wanted. He didn't bring her here to upset her. Sweat dripped from his brow, his gaze focused on the piece of paper in front of him. He stared at the white of the paper as he replayed everything in his mind. He had missed something. He had misunderstood something to have upset her. Another drop of sweat fell, this time it landed on the paper. 'Oh no!'

He raised his head to look at her; a chill ran through his body. He held out the letter toward her intending to give it back to her, but he didn't see her. His eyes darted around.

"Anna?" He franticly looked around, but he couldn't see her. 'Anna.' Where had she disappeared to? The weather suddenly felt chilly. He was cold, very cold. He hated the cold because it forced him to realize the truth the truth about himself. He hadn't been able to become immune to any of it.

He wanted to lash out and scream in anger. He didn't want to remember, but his body felt numb. No words could form; no sound came from his mouth. 'No… not again…' He hadn't forgotten. There was no way that he could forget. He just didn't want to remember it all, to have to watch it replay in his mind again.

The memories were so sudden that it consumed him, drawing him into the dream. It all was as if it had happened yesterday, the emotions begun to well up inside of him. This feeling he knew all too well, it was as if it would devour him yet again.

~~~Flashback~~~

Hao stood knee deep in snow staring at the scenery around him. This was her hometown, Aomori; the central point for Itakos to grow spiritually was in this place. It was the town that she had grown up in before coming to Izumo to join the Asakura household. In the distance he could see the snow topped mountains where the sun was beginning to peak out and the faint blue sky as night gave way to morning.

This was the world that he had once shared with her, the world that he had fought so hard to protect for her, but she was gone now. Looking at it all now, it didn't seem to matter. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. She was gone and the truth was he hadn't been able to protect her. With all the power that he possessed, he hadn't been able to shield her in the end from the harsh reality that was constantly trying to destroy them because they were different, because they were Shamans. He had protected her so many others times in the past that he believed he could continue to do so until the day he died. He had never thought that she would die before him much less be killed, murdered while he was away.

He wanted to call out for her, scream from the top of his lungs just so that she could hear. He wanted her back. For all the powers that he possessed, for all the wealth that he obtained, even for his very own life. He was willing to give it all up just to have her back.

"Anna." His breath filled the air in little clouds that disappeared just as she had so easily disappeared from his life. He had been unable to resurrect her; there was no method to truly bring someone back from the dead. His precious wife, his childhood friend was gone. Never would be able to gaze upon his sweet Anna again, never to hold her in his arms and feel her hair graze against his skin. Their life together had come to this, his left to suffer without her, always.

Matamune's spiritual form appeared off to the side from Hao. The nekomata seemed to pause as he watched his master out of the corner of his eye. He could clearly see the pain written all over Hao without having to see his face.

"Hao-sama?" He waited for his orders. He also blamed himself for being away at the time, unable to protect his mistress, the one that his master loved so much, for he had also loved his mistress.

She had been the one that had saved him from a painful and early death. He had merely been a stray cat, abandoned to die with the epidemic plague that was going around at the time, but she had saved him, in more ways than one. Though he was destined to die eventually due to his sickness, he would have died like an animal if they had not taken him in. He would have never known that humans actually had a heart.

He understood what his master was going through, but knew that he could never understand fully the pain that Hao was going through. She had been his master's love, the one thing that his master had cared for. She was his master's mate. The nekomata had never had the chance to experience what it was like to have a mate. The only love that he knew was the love that he felt toward his family when they were alive. After the epidemic had taken their lives, he had learned what an empty thing the world was. Than he had met them, Anna and Hao, and they had become his family.

She had picked up the dying cat on a whim and after healing him physically. She had passed Matamune onto Hao as a present. She had believed it would do him some good to have something else in his life, a pet. Another entity that Hao could rely on and learn what it was to trust someone else. She had hoped it would help heal the wounds that the Asakura family had inflicted on him as he had grown up in their household. She wanted him to be more human and show more emotions, something that he had learned to with hold from everyone except her.

"I wish to be alone Matamune." Hao didn't turn to face the spirit as the nekomata bowed and disappeared. He would have liked for Matamune to stay by his side, but in his current condition. He didn't know what he was capable of. He rarely had ever known this feeling, this emotion that filled him with so much pain. A human emotion called depression and it was consuming him quickly, his heart sinking farther, deeper into despair.

The feeling of wanting to cry out continued to plague his mind, his heart, and his soul, as he just wanted to reach out and touch her again. He wanted to hear her yell at him, tell him that he's not allowed to be so out of it. That it was an emotion that Asakura Hao would never experience, but the truth remained that he was indeed experiencing these human emotions because of her.

He couldn't stand anymore as his knees gave way and he fell into the snow. He didn't care that it was already freezing outside or that the feeling in his feet had completely left his body. There was no reason to live anymore. He wanted to join her either it be in heaven or hell. Anna was his everything and the world no longer mattered. Let them destroy themselves. He just wanted to rejoin her, to be by her side and to protect her. He lay there in the snow for hours on until he finally felt his body giving up, his gaze settling on various things until the darkness slowly begun to draw him in. He could almost see her through the illusions as a silhouette of her danced before him. A smile played across his lips as she was there with him he thought. He would be seeing her again, his amai, sweet Anna.

Hao didn't hear the footsteps as someone approached him.

"Hey, are you alright young man?" His senses no longer seemed to be working and he fell unconscious as he waited to join her.

~~~End of Flashback~~~

Anna touched her fingers to Hao's forehead. He was burning up. The idiot had caught a fever.

She set him down on the ground. She tossed the letter and ring back into the box, closing the lid. She took out a handkerchief and walked over to the edge of the water. She dipped the handkerchief into the cool water. She ran back over to his side and placed it against his forehead.

She checked the saddle bag of the horse and found another blanket that she used to wrap around him. She didn't know where exactly they were. They were out in the middle of nowhere. There was no one else around to help them so she did the only thing that she could do, she begun to chant.


End file.
